My pepper plants in the greenhouse are very mature now, and need to be taken out or pruned back. I’ve never tried to prune a pepper before, at least not for the purpose of overwintering and getting it to produce another year. So I did a test on a couple of ultra hot peppers, the Super Datil and Trinidad Scorpion. They both responded very well to the extensive pruning and are looking great. After seeing the results of the first test, I proceeded to prune the Camelot bell peppers that had produced so well for me last year.
I’m keeping it simple, just pruning the plants much like I would a hedge row. I cut all of the branches back to about 16-18 inches. They already have new buds coming and I should get a very early crop of peppers this year. So whether you’re growing in a greenhouse, outside, or wanting to bring the plants in for the winter…. giving them a really good trim will enable you to keep the plants going for the next season.
Also, I had one bed of peppers that seemed to be healthier than the others. I think I found out why…. worms. While digging around in the soil, I found lots of earthworms. This was a sign of just how good the soil is in that bed. And I was glad to see them !